On Wednesday (17th August) I sat on the committee that decides major
planning applications. This was a very interesting meeting, where party lines
are thrown out of the window and most of the time common sense prevails with
Liberals, Labour and Conservatives quite often agreeing!
Being the sort of person that I am(!) I disagreed with a few of the
proposals and my colleagues standing up for the individual’s right for privacy
and also spoke out about the proposed big display screen just off Southend High
Street, saying that I thought it was a great idea as long as the necessary
protection was in place for local residents. – I’d love to watch England in a
World Cup Final just off the High Street (well okay, I’d love to watch England
in a World Cup Final whilst almost anywhere – and I’m not even that into football!)
Next week I am sitting on the special Development Control meeting to decide
about Tesco at the old B&Q site (near Southend Victoria). I’d love to hear
what residents of Blenheim and elsewhere in the town think about it? I haven’t
made my mind up yet having only just received the papers and can’t make any
comments on it for fear of preventing myself from being able to vote (odd
system that applies all over the country!).
Please add a comment here or email me: cllrcourtenay@southend.gov.uk
if you’d like to let me know your thoughts.
Background information is available here: http://planning.southend.gov.uk/PublicAccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=LDS09LPA04S00